Splice for conductor pairs



1969 J. E. GOLDEN 3,480,723

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United States Patent 3,480,723 SPLICE FOR CONDUCTOR PAIRS James E. Golden, Evanston, Ill., assignor to Reliable Electric Company, Franklin Park, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Filed May 24, 1968, Ser. No. 731,956 Int. Cl. H02g /08 US. Cl. 174-88 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The splice comprises a polyolefin tube which surrounds two metallic connector elements arranged parallel to each other with a space between them. Each element has a number of oppositely disposed bent tabs which provide a structure of U-shaped cross section. The tabs of one element are longitudinally offset from the tabs of the other element, but there is no overlapping. Thus each tab set embraces only one wire of a conductor pair. The elements are of laminated stock, the inner layer being beryllium copper .003 inch thick, and the outer layer being soft brass .015 inch thick. The side edges of the tabs have a burr, which constitutes a jacket piercing tang of beryllium copper. After assembly of the elements within the polyolefin tube, the assembly is heated to cause shrinkage of the tube to a point where it interlocks with edge portions of the two connector elements. When conductor pairs are inserted from opposite ends into the space between the elements, and the tabs crimped, the tangs will pierce the insulating jacket and make electrical connection between the wires of like polarity.

The present invention relates to a splice for conductor pairs. More specifically, it provides means for electrically and mechanically connecting conductors in end to end relationship, as contrasted to a connector which connects two conductors in a side to side relationship, as illustrated in Jugle, 3,242,256, granted Mar. 22, 1966, for instance.

One of the problems encountered in connecting conductor pairs is first that the connecting element for each two wires of like polarity must be in end to end connection, and secondly that the two connectors, one for the wires of each polarity, must be insulated from or otherwise maintained out of contact with each other in order to prevent a short circuit.

It has previously been proposed, as for example in Wagner, 3,239,924, to provide an end to end connection in which the connector for each polarity is laterally spaced from the connector of the opposite polarity so as to avoid any contact between the two. However, when the conductor pair is integrally joined by a web, it is necessary to provide elaborate mechanism for piercing the web and displacing laterally each conductor of the pair prior to the crimping and insulation piercing operation.

According to my invention, I provide a connector in which each end to end connector and insulation piercing unit is arranged with longitudinally oifset burrs or tangs so that contact between the two connector elements can be avoided without resorting to a lateral separation or spreading of the conductors of each pair.

This arrangement has an additional advantage in that the two connector elements, due to the fact that their spacing corresponds to the spacing of the conductor elements, can be initially assembled within an insulating 3,480,723 Patented Nov. 25, 1969 Ice sleeve having an internal diameter only slightly greater than the dimensitons of the conductor pair, thus permitting the connector as a whole to be slipped over the ends of the two conductor pairs to be joined.

The insulating sleeve maintains the two connector elements not only in laterally spaced relationship so that the opening formed by said connector elements will be sutficient to receive a conductor pair, but also against relative longitudinal displacement so that the wire gripping tangs of one connector element are longitudinally offset from the other. Preferably, the insulating sleeve is made from a heat shrinkable thermoplastic resin, such as a polyolefin.

Another advantage is that my invention dispenses with the elaborate spreading and crimping mechanism of the prior art, and requires only a plier type tool to efiect the desired crimping operations.

The present invention is applicable to any pair of conductors whether or not they are integrally joined, but the invention is illustrated with respect to integrally joined connectors.

Other objects, features and advantages will become apparent as the description proceeds.

With reference now to the drawings in which like reference numerals designate like parts:

FIG. 1 shows an enlarged elevation of a preferred embodiment of my invention as applied to the conductor pairs;

FIG. 2 is a side view of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged section taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 1, showing the shape of the integrally joined connector pair;

FIG. 4 is an dexploded perspective view of the two connector elements;

FIG. 5 is a vertical cross section, taken along line 55 of FIG. '6, showing the splice assembled to one conductor pair, but before compression;

FIG. 6 is a side elevation of FIG. 5 with the insulating sleeve broken away;

FIG. 7 is a section taken along line 7--7 of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary section similar to FIG. 7 but showing the tabs when compressed;

FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIG. 4 showing a modified form of my invention;

FIGS. 10 and 11 are diagrammatic views showing further modifications; and

FIG. 12 is a section of a further modification.

With reference now to FIG. 3, the conductor pair A comprises conductors 10 and 11 having insulating jackets 12 and 13 respectively which are connected by a web 14. The insulating material 12, 13 and 14 is integrally extruded on to the conductors 10 and 11 so as to form a single element which can be manipulated as a unit.

FIG. 1 shows two conductor pairs A and B which are arranged end to end and received within a tubular splice 15. The tubular splice as shown in FIGS. 5 to 7 comprises an insulating sleeve 16 in which are disposed two connector elements 17 and 18.

Each connector element 17, 18, as shown in FIG. 4, comprises an elongate metal strip 20 having oppositely disposed tabs 21. As shown in FIG. 8, the stock from which the elements 17, 18 are made is a laminated stock, the components being a soft brass layer 22 and a much thinner hard layer 23 made of beryllium copper, for example. In the example shown, the soft brass 22 is .015

3 inch thick, and the beryllium copper layer is .003 inch thick.

The side edges 24 of each tab 21 as identified in FIG. 4, are each provided with a tang 25, as shown in FIG. 8, which is of sufiicient length and sharpness as to penetrate the jacket 12, 13, of a given conductor, and bite into the metal of the conductor 10, 11 and make electrical contact therewith. This tang may conveniently be in the form of the burr which is provided when sheet material is sheared, although the metal stock may also be subjected to a slight forming operation, if desired, either before or after the bending of the tabs 21, in order to accentuate the tangs 25. It will be noted that it is the hard metal, the beryllium copper layer, which forms the tang and bites into the metallic conductor to make electrical contact therewith. The soft brass layer 22 forms a backing for the hard material to prevent spring back, the soft material taking a set in connection with the crimping operation, which is free from spring back so that the tangs 25 will maintain their conductor biting relationship indefinitely to provide good electrical contact.

The term side edge as used herein identifies each edge 24 that is perpendicular to the axis of the splice, as contrasted with the end edge 26 (FIG. 4), which may or may not have a tang or burr incident to shearing, although any such burr is not shown herein since it would be nonfunctional.

The relative disposition of the connector elements 17 and 18, and their relationship to the insulating sleeve 16, is shown in FIGS. 5, 6 and 7. The sleeve 16 is preferably made of a polyolefin thermoplastic which has heat shrinking properties, for example a polyolefin, of which the principal polymer is polyethylene. Preferably, the polyolefin is an irradiated polyolefin to improve the molecular cross linkage, such as a beta or gamma irradiated polyolefin. After assembly of the parts, the material of the sleeve 16 may be subjected to heat which causes it to shrink slightly in those areas where it is not directly underlain by the metal of one of the elements 17 or 18, thus providing depressed portions 27, as shown in FIGS. and 7. Thus the shrinkage, or depressed portions, positively hold the two connector elements 17 and 18 against relative longitudinal displacement. The shrinkage over the end edges 26 also maintains the lateral spacing of the elements 17 and 18 so that the opening provided therebetween will be sufficiently large to receive the conductor pairs. As shown in FIG. 1, the depressed area of the sleeve is continuous.

The tabs 21 of the connector element 17 are oppositely disposed from each other so that they may be gripped by pliers or some other clamping tool, and deformed so that the tangs 25 bite into the conductors, and the same applies to the tabs 21 of the element 18. In the position of the parts shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, the conductor pairs A and B have been inserted into the splice but the tabs have not yet been crimped or deformed.

It is, of course, essential that the two connector elements 17 and 18 be electrically separated from each other, and for this reason, the tabs 21 of the element 17 are longitudinally offset from the tabs 21 of the element 18 so that there will be no inadvertent contact made between the two incident to compression.

In operation, the conductor pairs A and B are inserted into the opposite ends of the splice 15; then the tabs 21 are crimped to make electrical connection between the conductors of like polarity, one in each pair.

A modified form of my invention is shown in FIG. 9 in which the connector elements 30 and 31 are L-shaped so as to provide a tap connection with a third conductor pair, not shown. The element 30 comprises a two-Wire receiving portion 17', and the L-portion 32 provides a branched wire receiving portion. The two parts 17' and 32 are joined by a connecting tab 34, the right angle bend being located at this point. Thus it is possible to form the connecting element 30 from a single length of 4 material, and then to bend up the branch portion 32 after the tabs 21' and 35 have been formed.

In a similar manner, the connector element 30 may be U-shaped so as to provide for tWo taps, there being a branch portion 32 at each end so as to provide for four different wire entries.

Also, it is not necessary that the branch portion 32 be at right angles to the two wire portions 17; it may be at an obtuse angle as shown in FIG. 10, or it may be made with a double offset, as shown in FIG. 11 so that the branch wire entry will be arranged parallel to the wire entries for the portion 17'.

In FIG. 9, the elements 30 and 31 are assembled with the sleeves in the same manner as described in connection with FIGS. 1 to 7, except that separate sleeves are used for the portions 17 and 32. This provides an opening for receiving the wire at the bend.

An indent 38 may be provided in the elements 17, 18, as shown in FIG. 12, which serves as a limit stop for each of the conductor pairs A, B. By locating the indent 38 at about the half way point of the splice 15, adequate room is left for the second conductor pair tobe inserted. Also by providing a home position, it insures against under-insertion of either conductor pair.

Although only preferred embodiments of my invention have been described herein, it will be understood that various modifications and changes may be made in the construction shown without departing from the scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A splice for conductor pairs comprising two metallic connector elements arranged side by side, each connector element receiving one wire of a conductor pair, each connecting element comprising an elongate metallic strip having oppositely disposed bent tabs for embracing one wire of a conductor pair, said connector elements being electrically separated from each other with the tabs of one offset longitudinally from the tabs of the other, a tube of insulating material surrounding both of said connector elements and maintaining same in spaced relationship, the side edges of each tab of one of said connector elements being provided with tangs for penetrating the jacket of each wire when said tabs are bent toward each other for making electrical contact with two wires disposed end to end adjacent to said one connector element, and the side edges of each tab of said other connector element being similarly provided with tangs.

2. A splice as claimed in claim 1 in which said con necting elements are of laminated stock, one layer comprising a relatively soft metal lacking in resilience, and a second layer being of hard resilient metal, said second layer being thinner than said first layer.

3. A splice as claimed in claim 2 in which said first layer is brass having a thickness of substantially .015 inch, and said second layer is beryllium copper having a thickness of substantially .003 inch.

4. A splice as claimed in claim 1 in which said tube of insulating material is a polyolefin having heat shrinkable characteristics.

5. A splice as claimed in claim 4 in which said polyolefin is an irradiated polyolefin.

6. A splice as claimed in claim 1 in which said'tube of insulating material engages the side and end edges of said tabs.

7. A splice as claimed in claim 1 in which each connecting element is a bent element having a second elongate metallic strip disposed in the same plane as said first mentioned elongate metallic strip, and disposed at an angle thereto, a tab member common to said first and second elongate strips and connecting same, the bend between said elongate portions occurring in said connecting tab, said second elongate metallic strip being provided with oppositely disposed bent tabs having tangs on their side edges, and a second tube of insulating material surrounding the bent portion of said connecting elements.

3,480,723 5 6 8. A splice as claimed in claim 1 in which the metallic DARRELL L. CLAY, Primary Examiner strip of at least one connecting element has an indent at a mid point to provide a limit stop for the conductor US. Cl. X.R.

Pam 29628-1748 -33 7,2

References Cited 5 9 9 76 UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,242,256 3/1966 Jugle. 3,320,355 5/1967 Booker 174-84 

